Are you passionate about social justice and supporting refugees to rebuild their lives with dignity and security? Join our team at
St Augustine's Centre Halifax
and play a vital role in helping newly granted refugees access safe housing and pathways out of homelessness.
Main Responsibilities
* To provide advice to Centre Members who have recently received Leave to Remain (LTR) and
are presenting with matters relating to homelessness.
* To work positively in collaboration with Local Authority housing and homelessness teams, to
assist and advocate on behalf of Centre Members to move out of homelessness.
* To work positively and closely with partners such as Refugees at Home to embed an offer of hosting
within Calderdale.
* To ensure the experiences and voices of our Centre Members experiencing homelessness are
heard and influence decision making and service delivery.
* To ensure that the work conforms to our values, ethos, objectives and charitable obligations,
and meets the requirements of funders.
This is a frontline role, providing direct advice and support to Centre Members threatened with or experiencing homelessness. The work is fast paced, emotionally demanding, and often carried out in high-pressured situations. You'll be supporting individuals in crisis, navigating complex systems, and facing significant personal challenges—so resilience, empathy, and a calm, grounded approach are essential.
You'll work closely with the local council, advocating for our Centre Members and providing constructive challenge where necessary. A key part of this role will involve helping ensure that frontline council staff have access to all the relevant information and documentation they need to help the assessment process and understand individual needs. Maintaining professional relationships while standing firm for our Centre Members' rights will be essential, requiring both diplomacy and determination.
Another key aspect of the role will be to help nurture and grow our partnership with Refugees at Home. You will be the main referrer for Centre Members into the hosting scheme, ensure guests receive compassionate support, receive feedback from guests, and work alongside the local authority and wider housing partners to support guests transition from hosting into more permanent accommodation. You will also encourage the recruitment of new hosts.
Qualifications
We are looking for a dedicated individual with excellent reading and writing skills and a forensic eye for detail to lead on homelessness advice. Knowledge of the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017 and Housing Act 1996 will be essential, along with the ability to initiate relevant enquiries to secure the best possible housing outcomes for our Centre Members.
A strong understanding of homelessness legislation and housing rights is critical to delivering effective support. You will be expected to undertake training as a priority, particularly in your early months. Ongoing training and development to build expertise will also be needed (e.g how the Care Act and Equality Act intersect with homelessness).